episode_0066

-Ddallang

“Welcome!”

As I entered the store, a refreshing coolness greeted me. After walking around outside for a bit, my body was feeling hot, especially on such a sweltering day.

“Ah, it’s so cool.”

I grabbed the collar of my shirt and fluttered it, allowing the cool breeze to flow inside. Taking a look around the store, it had a clean overall atmosphere, typical of a fast-food restaurant.

Yes. In the end, I chose Subway over Baekban. Why? Well, I had already signed the contract, and I didn’t want to risk any consequences by breaking the agreement.

Anyway, the overall vibe of the store matched the colors of the sign, with green as the main color and yellow and white as accents.

Looking around, it was already lunchtime, and quite a few people had already settled in to enjoy their meals.

Seeing them, a wave of nausea hit me, and my stomach started to ache.

“Ugh, I need to order and eat quickly.”

So, I stood in line at the end of the long queue at the checkout counter.

But somehow, the line at the fast-food restaurant seemed to be moving a bit slower than expected.

What’s going on? Is this normal?

I’ve always just eaten whatever someone else brought, so coming to Subway myself was a new experience. But as I stood there watching the sandwich-making process, it made sense. Each sandwich was custom-made, with every ingredient chosen individually during the ordering process.

While other fast-food places usually just take your order and you wait, here, you had to select each ingredient, making it a fully customizable sandwich from start to finish.

“Hmm… interesting.”

Regardless of whether this was good or bad service, observing this new form of production or service was quite enjoyable.

Yes, up to three people. There were seven people in front of me, and it seemed like more people were joining the line behind me faster than the line was moving in front of me.

-Tap, tap, tap.

I crossed my arms and tapped my fingers anxiously, waiting for my turn that hadn’t come yet.

-Gurgle.

My stomach growled again.

“Ugh, I’m hungry.”

Now, the hunger was turning into a stomachache, making me more and more irritable.

As I glared at the line in front of me, someone suddenly tapped my shoulder.

“Ah, it’s you! You’re Davin’s mother, right? Hello!”

Who was this young man greeting me so warmly? He had a pleasant face in his early thirties, and he even referred to me as Davin’s mother.

Yes, he was Davin’s homeroom teacher, Mr. Choi Sung-jun.

“Uh, hello, teacher?”

“Haha, it’s been a while. Did you have a good vacation?”

“Uh… how did you know I went on vacation…?”

Looking extremely flustered, Mr. Choi hurriedly explained.

“Haha, don’t misunderstand. I just asked Davin why he looked so happy on Monday, and he told me that his family had gone on vacation to Busan. Haha.”

“Oh, I see. Well, haha.”

“By the way, how are things here?”

I realized that Davin’s school was nearby. So, it wasn’t strange for Mr. Choi to have lunch here, but it was a bit of a distance for me to walk from home. It’s like the ends of the earth, you could say.

So, Davin usually takes the bus to school to avoid the long walk.

“I had some business at the administrative welfare center. On my way there, I thought I might as well grab a meal. How about you, teacher?”

“Oh… I have a nut allergy. And today’s school lunch happened to be peanut rice…”

Well, if the school lunch contains ingredients that trigger allergies, then it’s understandable that you can’t eat it.

“Oh, so you bring your own food and eat separately?”

“Yes, well, that’s how it turned out. Haha.”

A nut allergy… I wonder if allergies to ingredients are relatively common? I know a colleague at work who has a wheat allergy. They’ve been avoiding wheat their whole life, so they say they’re not particularly inconvenienced by it, but it can be quite uncomfortable for those who have to eat with them.

So, compared to that, a nut allergy is relatively mild. Of course, that doesn’t mean there’s no discomfort.

After that, I chatted with Teacher Choi Sung-jun until it was my turn. Even if we had already exchanged greetings, it would have been awkward to just stand there in silence.

“Next customer! Are you ready to order?”

I was so engrossed in the conversation that I didn’t realize it was my turn until the cashier urged me, and when I turned my head, the line in front of me had disappeared.

“Oh, it’s my turn.”

I approached the counter to choose a menu item after interrupting the conversation.

Since I always eat what someone else orders, I don’t really know what’s good. Maybe it’s decision paralysis? After pondering for a while, I turned to Teacher Choi Sung-jun and suggested he choose first because it seemed like people behind me were waiting too long.

“Is this your first time here?”

Teacher Choi Sung-jun asked me, perhaps noticing my indecision.

“Ahaha, yes.”

“I see. How about trying the BLT? The Italian BMT is also good.”

The menu featured items with various types of ham. Following the advice of an experienced person might be a good idea, and I also thought it didn’t really matter what I ate. So, I ordered that. And then…

“What type of bread would you like?”

I think Teacher Yeong-soo said honey oat, right?

“Honey oat, please.”

Phew, is the decision-making process finally over?

“What kind of cheese would you like?”

“Huh?”

Staring blankly at the cashier, I pointed to the sticker with cheese types in front of me.

“Uh, um…”

“Just go with American cheese? It’s the most common.”

Once again, Teacher Choi Sung-jun helped me.

“Oh, American cheese, please.”

Then came more questions like “Would you like the bread toasted?” or “Any vegetables you don’t want?” “What sauce would you like?” and each time, Teacher Choi Sung-jun helped me.

Finally, after the sandwich was made, I let out a sigh of relief. But then the cashier asked again.

“Would you like to make it a combo?”

“Yes.”

The cashier handed me a cup.

“You can get your drink from the drink machine over there. And what kind of cookie would you like?”

Another question! Why are there so many choices?

Looking at where the cashier was pointing, I saw five types of cookies. But if I eat one, will Teacher Yeong-soo scold me again?

“Oh, I’m fine without a cookie.”

And finally, the payment.

Phew, this restaurant is really tough for someone like me who’s here for the first time.

“Are you going to eat here?”

“Yes!”

I blurted out, tired of all the questions, and both the cashier and Teacher Choi Sung-jun chuckled. My face turned red, and I grabbed the tray with my food, looking for a suitable spot. Teacher Choi Sung-jun followed me and asked.

“Since we’re already here, would you like to have a meal together?”

Well, usually if you happen to meet someone you know at a restaurant, it’s natural to end up dining together.

“Shall we do that?”

With that, he placed a tray on the same table as mine and took my cup to get me a drink.

And as he sat quietly waiting, Teacher Choi Sungjoon returned with two drinks in hand.

“I brought Zero Cola. I noticed you were seasoning your sauce with oil, salt, and pepper earlier, so I thought you might be on a diet?”

There was Zero Cola? I hadn’t even thought about it, so naturally I thought it was either regular cola or Sprite. He seemed cool and collected, but surprisingly had a meticulous side to him, this person.

“Oh, thank you. Haha. My trainer has been managing my diet quite strictly these days.”

“Hmm~ You’re doing personal training. What’s your goal for working out?”

Was it because he was a physical education teacher? He seemed to know a lot about personal training too.

“Oh, I originally wanted to improve my stamina a bit. It’s for health management as well.”

As he tilted his head with a smile, I quickly explained further.

“But my goal changed recently to taking body profile pictures.”

“Oh! That makes sense then. Yeah. If it’s just for health management, you don’t really need to go as far as controlling your diet. Unless you have to adjust your diet due to specific medical conditions. Besides, with your physique like Davin’s mom, you don’t really need a specific diet plan.”

“Hahaha, you know well. Oh, by the way, what was your major, teacher? Usually, PE teachers are often former athletes. Track and field? Swimming? Oh, I heard that the school you’re from has strong badminton and table tennis teams. Are you from that department?”

At that, Teacher Choi Sungjoon seemed to question what I was saying.

“Oh, ma’am. I’m not a PE teacher, I’m a Korean language teacher with a major in Korean literature.”

Huh?! Why? With that body?

Teacher Choi Sungjoon, who looked like he could be a PE teacher with his body and face, turned out to be a literary young man with a rich sensibility. It turns out he’s just a gym rat who enjoys working out as a hobby.